G'Day folks, Rowan/LSWSjr here with what is in-parts both a solo and group roleplay, now with a freeform option (see the first reply).

All Blood Must Be Swallowed is a post apocalyptic Unisystem campaign where vampires (along with some lesser supernaturals) became public knowledge and the influx of people wanting to live forever lead to the end of society as we know it; resulting in most survivors now living as part of a seafaring community (as vampires can't enter bodies of water) or as slaves to the luckier vampires within the labyrinthine remnants of our largest cities.

Those who want to dive into this sandbox will need to have access to one of the various Unisystem RPGs from Eden Studios, which include: All Flesh Must Be Eaten; ANGEL RPG; Armageddon the End Times; Army of Darkness RPG; Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG; Conspiracy X (2nd Ed); Ghosts of Albion RPG; Odyssey Prime; Terra Primate; and CJ Carrella's WitchCraft.

The corebook for the last of these can be downloaded as a free PDF here.

It doesn't matter which of these games you have access to, due to how this campaign will operate: each player will independently make their way through the ruins of the 'Big Orange' as it was once known, with only plot-armour deprived NPCs for company; and the consequences of their actions will often effect the other player's own solo stories.

My intention of making this a solo-group hybrid sandbox, was to ensure that each player: could progress at a pace that best suited them; could play with whatever Unisystem game they had access to; and could exclude any elements or themes that they're not comfortable with for their own solo tale.

What follows are some snippets of lore:

Quote from: Hot Pot Steve

Okay kid, here's the basics of the nasties of the night, just in case you're ever sent on a scavenger hunt.

Firstly I'll tell ya a bit about what 'Greys' look like, I mean most of them look grey, but their skin's supposed to range from light grey to black depending on how tan they were in life... something about melanin? Look I don't really know, but that's why they earned the nickname.

Their eyes also glow in the dark... I mean it... yeah I don't know why, they just do okay?!?

And now most everyone knows they have elongated canines, but they also have these wicked claws that'll tear right through most of the armor we can cobble together.

Either way they hate the sun, makes 'em weaker than you look, and burns 'em if they're straight out exposed.

Water's a big problem too, the vamps are wusses around it, that's why we live on the ocean blue... well harbor black in our case, but yeah I heard a guy escaped by hiding in a pool till the sun came up, so that's kinda handy to remember.

Though better we don't get caught in the city at night, they're crazy fast and strong, saw one flip a car once without breaking a sweat... not that they sweat, which is another problem, we'll tire before they do.

Let's just hope your dumb ass never gets stuck out there, and if it does you can hide in a full bathtub or kiss your ass goodbye.

Quote from: Hot Pot Steve

Oh... those folks in the robes? Yeah, they're just our friendly neighborhood witches, wizards and warlocks!

Wizards... yep, turns out there's a lot more supernatural shit in this world beyond the Greys.

To be honest, some days I don't think we'd still be floating without 'em.

Most of them only specialize in one kind of hocus pocus or another: you got your healers, your shield makers, and then you've got your air benders, earth benders, fire benders and water benders... well that's what I call 'em.

It's what gives us the edge over most of the pirates and shore-bound Greys, and occasionally we're sent on suicide missions to rescue one that's been spotted on land, usually straight outta the Greys' laps... I mean, better with us than out there right?!?

Yeah, just don't get in their way, most of them aren't exactly sociable... they're either arrogant assholes or they're the haunted, screaming their lungs out all night types... best just to give 'em a wide berth when you can.

Huh, why don't we just take 'em into town and win this war?

Well that's because all the energy pulsin' through their bodies makes 'em giant beacons to Greys, and the ones too dumb to make use of those magical talents would much rather just get high for a few hours from suckin' down some wizard blood.

It's also why we can't exactly take 'em on scavenger hunts too often... well beyond the ones we use to help us safely reach the shore, they'd announce our position to every Grey in the area, and that'd be bad, trust me, the idea's been done to death... I mean, literally!

Quote from: Hot Pot Steve

Whoa, put the smoke out... didn't you see the burners?!?

Yeah, those guys over there... the ones that look like they're covered in charcoal, they're the burners.

Look just don't smoke near them, it's just not safe and they think it's bad luck.

Why?

Because they're the guys who spend all their time around flammable chemicals... building the biggest, meanest, most unstable damn flamethrowers you've ever seen.

They're terrifying out there on streets, an' they can cook a pack of Wraiths in seconds.

Wraiths? Oh, I'll get to those later.

Point is, without the burners, we'd be easy pickings for any Grey with half a brain... we also wouldn't have to worry about getting blown to bits when something goes wrong with their toys... but hey, good with the bad and all that.

Like I said, just don't let 'em catch you smoking.

Quote from: Hot Pot Steve

What... oh Wraiths?

Yeah...

Uh, so... Greys...

Don't know how much you remember kid... but part of the reason we're in this mess is 'cause so many jumped at the chance to live forever.

Every Greys' gotta drink blood to keep goin', but with so many Greys things turned bad fast.

See, that immortality is a lie... Greys go long enough with no blood and they become Wraiths... and if they still don't feed after that... well then they're dead for good.

Problem is, most Wraiths ain't willing to give up just yet... they hide among the proper dead... waiting for someone to tip toe by... then before you know it, you've been tackled by a corpse who's tearing your throat apart... it's a bad way to go man.

Occasionally packs of Wraiths will work together... shamblin' husks that are smarter than they look... willing to share the pleasure of ripping you apart for the chance at some warm blood.

As long as they don't get the drop on you, they're push overs... again I mean literally!

Just play smart around the dead, some are more than just withered corpses... you copy?

Quote from: Hot Pot Steve

Aww... quick come on, there's a believer coming this way.

Nah, nothing wrong, the 'Devout' are just a bit preachy towards us heathens.

Guess it comes with the territory, especially now there's literal demons stalking the cities... not to mention the Devout's 'gifts' from God.

Honestly, I think they're just pious wizards, calling fire from the skies and healing wounds, but they say otherwise.

Thing is, their magic seems to be fueled by their beliefs and the fireworks stop the minute they start doubting...

Heck, who the fuck really knows?

Maybe they really ARE servants of the Lord.

Either way, they're still self-righteous pricks!

Anyone interested is welcome to PM me or reply below and we'll get your story started :)

There's been a request to offer a freeform option as well; arguing that if the Unisystem game used doesn't matter, then neither should not using one... I'm somewhat hesitant to do this, as it limits both the great successes and failures that can result from a system-based game.

However, as I don't want to turn away roleplayers with this preference, I'm going to allow it for those who exclusively do freeform roleplaying and aren't comfortable with game mechanics impacting their story.

Thanks to another player, the Big Orange's zoo is now filled with intelligent primates (a wizard did it), so Terra Primate owners can now get their damned dirty paws on the city's supplies and maybe help to fight the undead.